Fire-escape.



P. STAN."

FIRE ESCAPE.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 1, 1908.

7 929,510. Patented July 27,1909.

ANDREW. B GRAHAM cn.. PNOw-LIYHOGRAWEM wASmNavuyl. n. c.

PAUL STAN, OF HOMESTEAD, PENNSYLVANIA.

FIRE-E SCAPE Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 27, 1909.

Application filed. July 1, 1908. Serial no. 441,497.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, PAUL STAN, a subject of the King of Hungary,residing at Homestead, in the county of Allegheny and State ofPennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Fire-Escapes, of which the following is a specification, reference being hadtherein to the accompanying drawing.

This invention relates to fire escapes, and more particularly to thattype having pivoted or swinging landing sections or stairways.

The primary object of my invention is to provide a safety appliance inconnection with a fire escape of the above type for preventing personsfrom accidentally stepping off of the fire escape when the landingsection is not in position for landing purposes, thereby avoidingaccidents that are of com mon occurrence with the above type of fireescape.

A further object of this invention is to provide a fire escape having apivoted or fulcrumed landing section that can be easily and quicklyplaced in position for remov ing persons from the fire escape. To thisend, I provide the first fioor platform of a fire escape with a hingeddoor or gate, and arrange between the ground and first fioor a pivotedor fulcrumed landing section or ladder which is normally retained in anelevated or horizontal position, to prevent the fire escape from beingused for any pur pose other than that it is intended for. The landingsection or ladder is retained in an elevated or horizontal position by alooking mechanism which serves also as a lock for the door or gate. Thislocking mechanism is easily and quickly released to simultaneouslypermit of the landing section or ladder assuming an operative position,and the door or gate an open position, whereby persons upon the fireescape can easily and quickly descend.

A fire escape constructed in accordance with my invention is safe,positive in its action, easily installed and durable.

The detail construction entering into my invention will be presentlydescribed and then specifically pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings :Figure 1 isa side elevation of a portion of the fireescape, illustrating the landing section or ladder in full lines andpartly broken away in a horizontal position, and said section or ladderin an operative position in dotted lines, Fig. 2 a cross sectional viewtaken on the line ar-az of Fig. 1 with the landing section or ladder inan operative position, Fig. 3 is a horizontal sectional view of thespring held latch forming part of the locking mechanism, Fig. 1 is aplan of the weighted end of the landing section or ladder, and Fig. 5 isa plan of a portion of the fire escape illustrating the door or gate.

In the accompanying drawings, 1 and 2 designate fixed or stationaryplatforms connected by a stationary stairway 3, said platforms andstairway having balusters 4; and a railing 5.

Extending downwardly at an inclination from the fixed platform 2 is abrace 6 connecting with a bracket 7, said bracket being carried by thebuilding to which-said fire escape is attached. Between the brackets 7of the building is pivoted or fulcrumed, as at 8, a tilting landingsection or ladder, comprising side frames 9 and 10 connected by steps11. The landing section or ladder is provided with balusters 12 and 18connected by a railing 14, said baluster 13 eX- tending beyond. therailing and connecting by a chain 15 with one of the balusters of thefixed platform 2. This chain 15 is adapted to complete the balustradebetween the fixed platform 2 and the landing section of the fire escape.

The side frames 10 of the landing section are extended rearwardly andconnected by a rod 16 and a plate 17, said rod 16 being provided withcounterbalancing weights 18, while the plate 17 is provided with latchcasings 19 containing spring-held latches 20. The spring-held latches 20are connected, as at 21, to a lever 22 .pivotally mounted centrally ofthe plate17, as at 23. The lever 22 is connected by a cable 24 to aspring-held rod 25, arranged upon the under side of the landing sectionin suitable bearing 26 provided therefor. When the landing section istilted to the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1 of the drawings,the latches 20 are adapted to engage keepers 27 carried by theconnecting stairway 3. The lower ends of the keepers 27 are curved, asat 28, and the outer ends of the latches are beveled, as at 29, wherebyas the upper end of the landing section swings between said keepers, the

springhe ld latches 20 will be forced inwardly until the landing sectionassumes the proper position, at which time said latches are released andfirmly support the landing section in an inclined position.

One of the balusters of the fixed platform 1 is provided with a lug 30and a strap Pivotally connected to the lug 30 and extending through thestrap 31 is an oper ating lever 32, the lower end of said lever beingconnected by a cable or rod 33 to a upon the platform 1 at the upper endof the stairway The door or gate 36 is prevented from swinging inwardlyby a projection '37, carried by the building and is normally preventedfrom swinging outwardly by a horizontally pivoted latch 38, said latchbeing normally held in the position illustrated in Fig. 5, by a spring39 arranged between said latch and one of the railings of theplatform 1. A portion of the latch 38 lies in the path of travel of thelever 32 and is adapted to be engaged by said lever to release the dooror gate 36 and permit of persons descending the fire escape.

hen installing my fire escape, I pivot or fulcrum the landing section orladder whereby the outer end thereof will be of a greater weightthan'the inner end,in order that the landing section or ladder willimmediately assume an inclined position when the latch 34 is withdrawnfrom engagement with the upper end of the baluster 13.

It is apparent that the door or gate 36 cannot be opened without movingthe lever 32 and when this lever is moved, it is obvious that the latch34 will be withdrawn from the upper end of the baluster 13 and thelanding section or ladder will immedi ately swing to an inclinedposition and be locked insaid position by the latches 20 engaging'thekeepers 27. To place the landing section or ladder in a horizontal position, it is only necessary to pull upon the rod 25 to retract thelatches 20 and then give the lower end of the landing section or laddera swing upwardly, which movement causes the upper end of the baluster 13to ride under the latch 34. h

It will be obvious, that the forward portion of the landing section,that is, the portion of the landing section forward of the pivot 8 beingof greater weight than the portion at the rear of said pivot, that thetendency of the landing section is to assume the operative position justas soon as the locking means which holds it normally in the horizontalposition is released. The counterbalance weights 18 are provided merelyto assist in returning the landing section to the horizontal orinoperative position, and overcoming a portion of the excess weight onthe forward portion of the landing section.

My fire escape in its entirety is constructed of strong and durablemetal, and while I have only illustrated two platforms, it is obviousthat the same may embody numerous platforms and connecting stairways.

lVhile in the drawings forming a part of this application there isillustrated the preferred embodiment-s of my invention, it is to beunderstood that the elements there can be varied or changed as to theexact shape, proportion and manner of assemblage without departing fromthe spirit of the invention.

Having now described my invention what I claim as new, is

1. In a fire escape, the combination with fixed plat-forms and astairway connecting said platforms, of a bracket arranged adjacent toone of said platforms, a tilting landing section supported by saidbracket and adapted to swing into engagement with one of said.platforms, said section comprising frames, weights carried by saidframes,

springheld latches supported by said frames, a rod arranged under saidlanding section for moving said latches, keepers carried by saidconnecting stairway and adapted to be engaged by said latches forholding said landing section in an inclined position, a spring-heldlatch arranged upon one of said platforms for holding said landingsection in a horizontal position, a hinged door arranged at the other ofsaid platforms, a latch for holding said door in a closed position, anda lever pivotally supported by the last mentioned platform forsimultaneously moving said latch and the spring-held latch supported bythe other of said platforms, substantially as described.

'2. In a fire escape, the combination with fixed platforms and astairway connecting said platforms, of a bracket arranged adjacent toone of said platforms, a tilting landing section supported by saidbracket and adapted to swing into engagement with one of said platforms,said section comprising frames, weights carried by said frames,spring-held latches supported by said frames, a rod arranged under saidlanding section for moving said latches, keepers carried by saidconnecting stairway and adapted to be engaged by said latches forholding said landing section in an inclined position, a spring-heldlatch arranged upon one of said platforms for holding said landingsection in a horizontal position, a hinged door arranged at the other ofsaid platforms, a latch for holding said door in a closed posi tion, andmeans supported by said platform for simultaneously releasing said doorand the spring-held latch of said platform.

3. A fire escape comprising fixed plat forms and a connecting stairway,a tilting landing section adapted to swing into engagement with one ofsaid platforms, keepers carried by said connecting stairway, spring-heldlatches carried by said landing section and adapted to engage saidkeepers for maintaining said landing section in an inclined position, aspring-held latch supported by one of said platforms for holding saidlanding section in a horizontal position, a hinged door arranged at theother of said fixed platforms, and a lever supported by said fixedplatform for simultaneously releasing said door and the spring-heldlatch of the other of said platforms.

i. A fire escape comprising fixed platforms, a pivoted landing sectionadapted to swing into engagement with one of said platforms, meanscarried by one of said platforms for engaging said landing section, andretaining the same in an inclined position, means carried by the sameplatform for holding said tilting landing section in a horizontalposition, a hinged door arranged upon the other of said platforms, alatch for normally holding said door in a closed position, and meansarranged upon said platform for simultaneously releasing said latches topermit of said door being opened and said landing section swinging to aninclined position.

5. In a fire escape, in combination with fixed platforms, a pivotedlanding section adapted to swing from a horizontal inoperative positionto an inclined operative position with respect to one of said platforms,the portion of said landing section forward of the pivot thereof beingof greater weight than the portion to the rear of said pivot, saidlanding section when released movable by gravity to the operative position, counter-balancing means carried by the rear portion of saidlanding section, means whereby the landing section is automaticallylocked in its inclined operative position when moved thereto, and meanswhereby the said landing section is automatically locked in itshorizontal inoperative position when moved thereto.

6. In a fire escape, in combination with a fixed platform, a pivotedlanding section adapted to swing from a normally horizontal inoperativeposition to an inclined operative position with respect to saidplatform, means whereby said landing section is automatically locked inthe inclined operative position when moved thereto, said landing sectionwhen released movable by gravity to the in clined operative position,and means whereby said landing section is automatically locked in itshorizontal inoperative position when moved thereto.

7. In a fire escape, in combination with the platform of a stationaryfire escape, a pivoted landing section so disposed as to move from anormally horizontal inoperative position to an inclined operative position with respect to said platform, said landing position when releasedmovable by gravity to the inclined operative position, locking means sodisposed as to engage a part of the landing section when the latter isin its inoperative position to lock the same, and co-acting lockingmeans on the landing section and fire escape for holding said landingsection in the inclined operative position when moved thereto.

8. In combination with a stationary fire escape, a pivoted landingsect-ion normally held in an inoperative position with respect to thefire escape and movable to an operative position with respect to saidfire escape, a hinged door arranged at the exit: end of said fireescape, means for normally holding said door in a closed position andthe landing section in an inoperative position, said means when actuatedsimultaneously releasing the door and the landing section, said landingsection when released movable by gravity to the operative position, andmeans for automatically locking the same in operative position whenmoved thereto.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in the presence of twowitnesses.

PAUL STAN.

Witnesses:

A. H. RABsANo, Max H. SRoLovrrz.

